Smart Ad Campaigns, Websites & Cover Letters: What They Share
Smart Ad Campaigns, Websites & Cover Letters should be created with these four principles in mind:
- Know your target audience.
- Define your unique selling proposition (USP).
- Engage with the audience emotionally.
- Include a call to action.
Principle #1 is critical. It’s all about relevance. People crave relevance and are far more responsive to messages that are appropriate and timely. That’s why you should never skip your research stage. The insights gained through research will allow you to tailor your cover letter for a particular HR manager or company. They will help you map your website according to your understanding of your audience. If you genuinely connect with your audience on a range of levels, they’re much more likely to become your returning clients, and to spread the word about your products and services. Knowing your clients and addressing their interests are key success factors. Bearing that in mind, you’re probably wondering why nowadays anybody would choose toxic colors when designing their websites. Similarly, why would anyone try to sell you premium products, such as luxury watches, by showing you tacky animations? It can also feel baffling when, for instance, a committed dog-person still gets that pesky email every Monday from their local pet store, advertising mostly cat products. Not only are such messages irrelevant, but they also bring the company that much closer to losing a client.
Remember that if you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.
Principle #2 is your selling engine. Given the right oil and gas, this engine will never stop. Why should a recruiter choose you over hundreds of other candidates? What unique skills can you bring to the company? Every smart website will highlight what makes the product or service unique and worthy of your attention. Every effective advertisement will pivot around USP. Considering how often people are bombarded with new or repeated information, particularly in online spaces, it’s important to help your audience navigate that information with ease.
Tell people why they should care.
Principle #3 is all about feelings. Emotional intelligence is what separates smart brands from their competitors. Observe how you communicate. On a scale of 1 to 10, how emotional are you? And when you discuss a topic you care about, how likely are you to express even more emotion? You want the hiring manager to be intrigued by your skills, you want the user to believe in your product, you want your client to trust you. After all, we’re not machines that just process mere facts and make decisions accordingly. As humans, our emotions influence our decisions at every stage. Therefore, smart messages, designs, and advertising must always engage with the audience emotionally.
Don’t just tell, make me feel.
Principle #4 is so basic that it’s frequently forgotten. Unfortunately, I’ve seen countless websites with a call to action that invites the audience to simply “Learn more”, or, even better, “Keep scrolling”. Pardon me for asking, but will my scrolling feed you? If you sell something, you need to make it easy to buy. If you want to connect with a potential client, you need to make it easy to reach out. And if you want a job, you do need to make it clear that you are asking for a job.
So, remember the following: include a direct call to action, don’t beg, but above all, be there when the client needs you.
